House Education Committee Advances Student Aid Fraud Bills
Published March 23, 2026
By AACOM Government Relations
Higher Education OME Advocate
- On March 17, 2026, the House Education & Workforce Committee marked up eight bills, including three addressing federal student aid fraud. The markup followed an Executive Order, signed by President Trump on March 16, 2026, that established a taskforce to combat fraud across all federal benefit programs.
- Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) raised concerns about privacy and institutional burden, while Chairman Tim Wahlberg (R-MI) stated the measures would “crack down on federal student aid fraud.”
- The bills included the Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act of 2026, H.R. 7891, prioritizing reviews of institutions that disburse aid without verifying student identity; the No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026, H.R. 7892, requiring ED to use identity fraud detection for each FAFSA; and the FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act, H.R. 7893, allowing verification of applicants’ Social Security numbers and citizenship status.